Father’s Day is fast approaching. But what do you get for the extraordinary father figure in your life? You want to give him something unique, just like him. Last year, you bought him that limited edition bottle of whisky, and during the year he finished the bottle.
The empty bottle is now standing with his other half-empty bottles in the cupboard. It was such a beautiful bottle and a release that brings back treasured memories, and he does not want to get rid of even of the empty bottle.
So for Father’s Day 2019, I looked at a cool way to re-purpose those special empty whisky bottles. There are many things to do with empty glass bottles. You can make candle holders, torches or bird feeders. But the idea I like the most was to upcycle the bottle into a whisky bottle lamp. That way, the unique bottle get pride of place on a table as a purposeful décor item.
Luckily Builders Warehouse had all the items I needed for my whisky bottle lamp upcycling DIY project. They also had friendly staff that helped with some good advice.
Making a Whisky Bottle Lamp
Making a whisky bottle lamp is not too difficult; it just takes a bit of patience. John just finished his limited release Three Ships 10 yo whisky and the bottle was perfect. It has a sturdy base, and this was great for stability.
Shopping list
First up was a visit to Builders Warehouse to look for the things I would need. I have a drill but needed a special drill bit to drill through the glass and a few other items.
Other items needed:
Diamond Tip drill bit (I used a Ruwag diamond tip 6mm)
Using the diamond tip drill bit, make a hole in the back of the bottle, somewhere near the bottom. Having water drip on the drilling spot helps to lubricate it and keeps it cool. This part takes a bit of time and patience. Slow, steady pressure works best. You don’t want the glass bottle to shatter.
Wear safety equipment when working with glass. I found some nice resources on YouTube with regards to glass drilling and also had a long chat to a friendly person at Builders who had some great advice as well.
When the hole is done, wash and dry the bottle. Thread through the wire and assemble the lamp fitting and the wire as required. Connect the on-off switch and safely add the plug socket. Test to see if it works. You don’t want to glue it all together just to find some wire was not securely connected.
Using the glue, fix the lamp fitting onto the top, making sure it is level. Let it all dry properly. Add a lampshade of your choice. And you are done.
Finished Whisky Bottle Lamp
And your gift is done. Perfect for Father’s Day. A one of a kind gift for a one of a kind father.
It took a bit of time, but it was so worth it. Last week we finished our bottle of Three Ships Pinotage Cask, another limited release and I am going to change that into a whisky bottle lamp as well It was the best whisky I had during 2018, and I don’t want to get rid of the bottle.
Not only is this a great gift, but the upcycling of the bottle is kind to the environment too.
Disclaimer: I got a gift voucher from Builders Warehouse that allowed me to buy the items I needed for this DIY.
Whiskey is a spirit that brings people together. It gets people talking and having fun. It is an experience to be shared, to learn about, and to enjoy. However, exploring new whisky can be difficult in today’s economic climate. With rising food prices and fuel costs, whisky has become a luxury item. But there’s a solution: start a whiskey club!
A whiskey club is where you and like-minded friends can taste and learn together, making quality whiskey more affordable. For example, if each of 7 members contributes $15 per month, you have $105 monthly to spend on different whiskey. With this budget, you can enjoy 1 or 2 exquisite drams every month.
1. Start a Whiskey Club
1.1 Chat with your friends
Gather friends interested in whiskey, aiming for a club of 7 to 12 members. Establish ground rules for a positive experience and create a private communication channel, like a Facebook group or WhatsApp list, for easy information sharing.
1.2 Choose a name for your whiskey club
Select a name that defines your group, reflecting your identity. Be creative, and it could be linked to your locality or a shared interest.
1.3 Define your monthly contributions
Agree on a fixed monthly contribution; this makes budgeting easier. Even as low as $15 per month can work well, as great whiskey doesn’t have to be expensive.
1.4 Plan your venue and meeting time
Select a date and time that accommodates everyone, such as a Friday evening. Find an easily accessible venue, which could rotate among members’ homes or a central location.
1.5 Define a format
Ensure your meetings have structure and learning opportunities. Designate a leader for each event responsible for research, buying whisky, and hosting the tasting. Rotate this role to share the workload and promote learning.
The preparation can include the history of the distillery, information about the specific release as well as notes on food pairings.
2. What else you will need
2.1 Glassware
Some people will have strong opinions on what glasses you need for a whiskey tasting. Use what you have initially, but look for small tulip-shaped wine glasses as you progress. Getting glasses branded in your whiskey club’s name is a fun touch.
2.2 Tot measure
2.3 Water
Have room temperature water for adding to whiskey and cleansing the palate. We taste the whiskey first without water and then with a few drops of water. Water allows more of the flavours to open up.
The one thing we never add when tasting is ice. Ice makes the molecules contract, and you don’t taste all the aspects of the whiskey. Keep the ice for the hotter days when you are out just enjoying but not for tasting.
2.4 Tasting sheets
Standardized tasting sheets allow you to write down your impression of the whiskey you taste. Print them out or share them with the team so that they can bring a new tasting sheet to every session.
Some information to include on a tasting sheet can include:
Distillery name
Whiskey Region
Bottling information (ABV, Year distilled, Age, Cask type)
Tasting notes including colour, nose, palate and finish
Comments
Rating
3. Start a whiskey club: Your first meeting
Ensure all members share a basic understanding of whiskey. Use the first meeting to discuss how whiskey is made and the fundamentals of whiskey tasting, utilizing online resources for guidance. There are some great resources available such as:
Plan your whiskey selection based on your budget and members’ preferences. Decide whether to buy one expensive whiskey or a few medium-priced options. Create a tasting schedule in advance, considering different types of whiskey.
Start by making a list of some interesting whiskies. Look at the various regions and countries available. For example: Month 1 you taste Speyside whisky from Scotland, month 2 you try an American whiskey aged in wine barrels, month 3 it is time for a few rye releases.
During month 4 you can explore some bourbon, while month 5 looks towards Scottish Islay and you can try some heated and unseated expressions from there.
Leverage online resources like the Whizzky App, which offers recommendations and a platform to track your club’s whiskey journey.
Who many whiskies should you taste per session? That depends on you and your club. We don’t taste more than 3 drams at a session. But that is just us. However, remember your taste buds stop working after a couple of drams. So anything after your 5th whisky, you probably do not taste properly anymore.
5. Start a whiskey club: The process
Adapt the process to suit your club. Start with the leader sharing insights about the distillery, region, and the specific bottling. Then proceed with the following suggested steps:
Do not rush the tasting; take your time to savour each whiskey.
Pour out a measure of whiskey for everyone.
Start with the tasting sheet. Complete the basic info around region etc.
Look at the colour. Dark or light, what does the colour remind you of?
Nose the whiskey and see what flavours you can identify?
Then take a small sip (at last) and roll the liquid around in your mouth. What do you taste? What does it remind you of? Add a bit of water. Try it again. Is there a difference in the taste? Fill out the tasting notes on the tasting sheet as you go along.
When everyone has tasted the whisky, it is time to chat. See what other people smelled and tasted. Go back and taste some more.
Let the glass stand a bit and try it again. Proceed through your lineup of whiskies and if you’re lucky there’s some leftover to go back and have a 2nd glass.
Enjoy the company of like-minded friends and a good whiskey. The rest of the night is up to you!
6. Drinking & Driving
Prioritize safety. Never drink and drive; use ride-sharing services like Uber or Taxify, designate a sober driver, or take a taxi. Ensure everyone in your club gets home safely.
Starting a whiskey club is a fantastic way to enjoy this delightful spirit, expand your knowledge, and create lasting memories with friends. So, gather your fellow whiskey enthusiasts and embark on this exciting journey of discovery and camaraderie. Cheers to your whisky club adventure!
During the year, I am fortunate to taste many new whiskies. Some are not bad, and some I never want to taste again. Just search for “Ordinary” on this blog, and you will find quite a few examples of these.
However, now and again, I taste something that blows my mind. Something so delicious that I want to go out and buy many more bottles.Sometimes these Divine drams are limited releases, and when my bottle is finished, there will be no more.
But sometimes they are standard releases that are readily available. And this has been such a year. I have tasted 4 whiskies that we rated Divine. And each of these is readily available. They are not mindbogglingly expensive; they are quite affordable actually. But they were stand out drams that I loved.
And as always, at the end of each year, we gathered a few friends and blind taste-tested the year’s Divine whiskies to choose the Whisky of the Year 2018. The friends who helped was Roelia from Boozy Foodie and her hubby Jan from Social Savage.
The process is similar every year, a blind taste test and then every person individually ranked the glasses from 1 to 4. This gives us our Whisky of the Year.
Blanton’s bourbon whiskey was launched in 1984 as a Single Barrel Bourbon. It is part of the Sazerac Company and distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
What makes the Blanton’s bottle unique is the eight different stopper designs. The stoppers feature a figurine of a racehorse and jockey in eight different scenes of a horse race, from standing at the gate to crossing the finish line with a win. I was wondering if this will be the only stopper in my collection, but after tasting this delicious bourbon, I am going to be looking for more bottles.
The Blanton’s Gold has notes of oak, warming rye, condensed milk, hints of sun-dried oranges and vanilla. It is rich and creamy bursting with a complex mix of tastes. There are notes of toasted oak, fudge, cinnamon, chocolate-covered oranges, Sichuan pepper with faint hints of cherries.
And with an impressive ABV! A beautiful finish that leaves you with fudge, cinnamon, pepper and hints of orange peel.
Best Blend: Johnnie Walker Black Label
Affordable, available all around the world and an icon! Johnnie Walker Black Label is a blend of about 40 whiskies from all around Scotland. Smoother and more drinkable than its little brother the Johnnie Walker Red, the Black Label has reached cult status. And I can understand why. It offers a consistent, delicious experience which I keep on going back to.
The Johnnie Walker Black label Scotch whisky has notes of smoke, red berries, fruit, citrus flowers, oak and malt. A toffee sweetness with hints of spice. You don’t even need to add water, but water releases a bit more sweetness.
This Black Label is an all-together impressive dram. I always have a bottle of this in the house, and I love this (FAR) more than the more expensive Johnnie Walker releases I have tried.
Best World Whisky: Paul John Classic Cask Select
Paul John is a brand of Indian single malt whisky and single cask whisky, manufactured by John Distilleries in Goa. John Distilleries was founded by Mr Paul P. John in 1992, when they began producing several spirits, including Indian molasses-based ‘whisky’.
In 2008, John Distilleries attempted a single malt whisky, and the rest is history. Paul John Single Malt was launched in 2012 in the UK, and there was an overwhelmingly positive response to the golden liquid from this Indian distillery. And I am so glad that it is readily available in South Africa too.
The Paul John Classic Select Cask is an unpeated single malt that has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled without chill-filtration at cask strength. Again it comes at an impressive 55.2% ABV.
The Paul John Classic Select Cask has notes of freshly baked apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, barley, faint hints of vanilla and candied fruits. Hints of toffee, oak with warming cinnamon and soft pepper nicely balanced with honey sweetness. It has a delicious finish rich with oak, cinnamon and fruit.
This year, the winning whisky and the runner up was only 1 point apart. But in the end, there can only be 1 winner.
And the winner of the Whisky of the Year 2018 is…
I have to mention the runner up – it was the Paul John Classic Cask select. A delicious dram. From a distillery that I will be exploring more of!
Well, that it is for 2018. Thank you for all your support this year. Wishing you many wonderful glasses of whisky in 2019. Early next year I will start again. But now it is time to sit back and relax and enjoy a glass of An Oa.
Here are the 4 whiskies in alphabetic order.
Best Single Malt: Ardbeg An Oa Whisky
It was with great fanfare that Ardbeg launched an extension to their core range – Ardbeg An Oa. The first permanent expression to join the Ardbeg core range since Corryvreckan in 2009. I have been less impressed lately by the Ardbeg Day releases, so I was rather sceptical about this new release. Was this just another premium-priced release that does not live up to the hype?
O Hell No. This Islay dram was just perfect. It warms you up with the traditional peat and smoke, but it is elegant and smooth. The Ardbeg An Oa single malt Scotch whisky is not the salty, TCP and strong tar pole notes of an Ardbeg Uigeadail, but a softer, more classic version of it.
Notes of peat, creamy honey, salted liquorice with hints of cough syrup. Bits of toasted nuts and pine needles mixed with vanilla, lemon pepper and chocolate. It’s a fascinating and glorious mix of aromas and tastes. It’s complex, subtle and different all at once. It has a finish that is a mile long and lingers around you like a favourite old jersey.
Best Bourbon: Blanton’s Gold Edition
Blanton’s bourbon whiskey was launched in 1984 as a Single Barrel Bourbon. It is part of the Sazerac Company and distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
What makes the Blanton’s bottle unique is the eight different stopper designs. The stoppers feature a figurine of a racehorse and jockey in eight different scenes of a horse race, from standing at the gate to crossing the finish line with a win. I was wondering if this will be the only stopper in my collection, but after tasting this delicious bourbon, I am going to be looking for more bottles.
The Blanton’s Gold has notes of oak, warming rye, condensed milk, hints of sun-dried oranges and vanilla. It is rich and creamy bursting with a complex mix of tastes. There are notes of toasted oak, fudge, cinnamon, chocolate-covered oranges, Sichuan pepper with faint hints of cherries.
And with an impressive ABV! A beautiful finish that leaves you with fudge, cinnamon, pepper and hints of orange peel.
Best Blend: Johnnie Walker Black Label
Affordable, available all around the world and an icon! Johnnie Walker Black Label is a blend of about 40 whiskies from all around Scotland. Smoother and more drinkable than its little brother the Johnnie Walker Red, the Black Label has reached cult status. And I can understand why. It offers a consistent, delicious experience which I keep on going back to.
The Johnnie Walker Black label Scotch whisky has notes of smoke, red berries, fruit, citrus flowers, oak and malt. A toffee sweetness with hints of spice. You don’t even need to add water, but water releases a bit more sweetness.
This Black Label is an all-together impressive dram. I always have a bottle of this in the house, and I love this (FAR) more than the more expensive Johnnie Walker releases I have tried.
Best World Whisky: Paul John Classic Cask Select
Paul John is a brand of Indian single malt whisky and single cask whisky, manufactured by John Distilleries in Goa. John Distilleries was founded by Mr Paul P. John in 1992, when they began producing several spirits, including Indian molasses-based ‘whisky’.
In 2008, John Distilleries attempted a single malt whisky, and the rest is history. Paul John Single Malt was launched in 2012 in the UK, and there was an overwhelmingly positive response to the golden liquid from this Indian distillery. And I am so glad that it is readily available in South Africa too.
The Paul John Classic Select Cask is an unpeated single malt that has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled without chill-filtration at cask strength. Again it comes at an impressive 55.2% ABV.
The Paul John Classic Select Cask has notes of freshly baked apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, barley, faint hints of vanilla and candied fruits. Hints of toffee, oak with warming cinnamon and soft pepper nicely balanced with honey sweetness. It has a delicious finish rich with oak, cinnamon and fruit.
This year, the winning whisky and the runner up was only 1 point apart. But in the end, there can only be 1 winner.
And the winner of the Whisky of the Year 2018 is…
I have to mention the runner up – it was the Paul John Classic Cask select. A delicious dram. From a distillery that I will be exploring more of!
Well, that it is for 2018. Thank you for all your support this year. Wishing you many wonderful glasses of whisky in 2019. Early next year I will start again. But now it is time to sit back and relax and enjoy a glass of An Oa.
The second in my series on my Top whisky gift guide and I titled it ‘ Great Whisky gifts under R1000 to make you smile’. I am moving to a more accessible group, looking at whisky between R500 and R1000. In this category, you are spoilt for choice.
There are some fantastic releases in this price class that will not break the bank but will make for a very appreciated gift for the whisky lover in your life. Many of these releases come with gift packs during this time of the year, so it is a great time to shop.
Again, I am trying to find releases that I have tasted this last period and that have not previously made of my top 5 lists. There are many more. Just search the Excellent category on the blog, and you will find many many delicious drams. But these stood out for me in 2018. All in alphabetical order.
It was with great fanfare that Ardbeg launched an extension to their core range – the Ardbeg An Oa single malt Scotch whisky. The first permanent expression to join the Ardbeg core range since Corryvreckan in 2009. I was rather sceptical. I am not always so crazy about the Ardbeg Day releases. But wow, this release was impressive.
The whisky is named after the Mull of Oa in the south-west of Islay. Maturation of Ardbeg An Oa took place in a combination of casks including PX, spicy charred virgin oak and ex-bourbon.
It has notes of peat, creamy honey, salted liquorice with hints of cough syrup. Bits of ash, sweet vanilla and cinnamon sugar, hints of chocolate and toasted oak. The Ardbeg An Oa has a big mouthfeel, and it’s smooth and velvety on the palate. Water softens the medicinal notes and adds more sweetness.
The Ardbeg An Oa Islay whisky is not the salty, TCP and strong tar pole notes of an Ardbeg Uigeadail, but a softer, more classic version of it. It retails for around R 800 at major retailers and is so worth it!
Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon Whiskey
This bourbon was my first Divine rated whiskey for 2018. The bottle is short and round with a unique stopper – easily recognizable. The Blanton’s Gold bourbon whiskey is bottled at a whopping 51.5% ABV, and it is part of the Sazerac Company and distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
What makes the Blanton’s bottle unique is the very collectable eight different stopper designs. The stoppers feature a figurine of a racehorse and jockey in eight different scenes of a horse race. From standing at the gate to crossing the finish line with a win.
The Blanton’s Gold is rich and creamy bursting with a complex mix of tastes. There are notes of toasted oak, fudge, cinnamon, chocolate-covered oranges, Sichuan pepper, hints of cherries, honey and vanilla.
Big and beautiful. It needs just a few drops to tone down the bit of alcohol burn and release more complexity. Blanton’s Gold Edition bourbon is bold and demands your attention. All of it!
Three Ships Oloroso Cask 8 yo Whisky
I had to add this release to my ‘Whisky gifts under R1000’ list. The only whisky I have not tasted before. But Andy Watts is an absolute master at distilling and blending, and I love everything that comes from the James Sedgwick Distillery.
I am keeping this release for a special occasion and will publish my formal tasting notes probably early 2019. But you can rest assured, the Three Ships Oloroso Cask 8 yo is beautiful. And a gift worth giving.
A specially selected single malt was matured for 5 years in American Oak and then transferred to Oloroso Sherry casks for a further 3 years. It has notes of dried fruit, crunchy nuts, rich chocolate with red berries and cinnamon. I see that there are still a few bottles available at Norman Goodfellows and they retail for R 749.
Powers John’s Lane 12 yo Whiskey
In 1791 James Power, an innkeeper from Dublin, established a small distillery at his public house. The little distillery grew, and grew and ownership remained in the family until 1966.
Powers distillery was one of the first distilleries to install a Coffey still to allow for the production of grain whiskey. Through the ups and downs, the Powers brand continued.
Power John Lane Release returns to the origin of the Powers Irish whiskey and celebrates the style that made Powers so famous. The Powers John’s Lane Release is a combination of 12 year old single pot still whiskey aged in two different types of casks.
The majority is matured in bourbon casks and the remaining spirit in Oloroso sherry casks. First released in 2011, it was an instant hit. It won the ‘Irish Whiskey of the Year’ in the 2012 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
The Powers John’s Lane Release has notes of malt, rich autumn fruit dusted with cocoa, dark chocolate with hints of caramel and bits of toasted oak, nutmeg and sherry. Smooth and warming. Water softens the spices and brings more honey notes.
I can understand why Jim Murray gave this a 96.5 in the 2015 Whisky Bible. For a change, I agree with him. It is delicious. The Powers John’s Lane Release retails for around R900.
Wemyss The Hive Whisky
Last but not least, in my ‘Whisky gifts under R1000’ list, I have had a long love affair with Wemyss releases. Since the first time I tasted Wemyss in Dullstroom, I have been in love. Wemyss was not available in SA until about 2 years ago. But all this changed with Wemyss bringing a few of their standard releases into SA.
However, the core of the Wemyss blended malts is the three releases aptly named The Hive, The Spice King and The Peat Chimney. All bottled at 46% ABV.
The Hive was launched in 2011, and the release that is available in SA has no-age-statement (NAS). Wemyss The Hive focuses on sweet honey qualities with a few Speysider style notes at the core of this blend. It is a blend of at least 10 single malts.
Wemyss The Hive has lashings of floral honey sweetness, freshly baked apple pie malt and oak with bits of vanilla, ginger. Adding water makes it easier to drink and releases more of the honeycomb sweetness. Rich and delicious.
Not the most complex dram, but easy drinking and fun. Perfect for summer! Let it stand for a few minutes and add enough water. The Hive also pair wonderfully with fresh French pastry. It retails for around R 650 in SA.
There you have it. A fun selection of five great whiskies that will put a smile on your or your whisky lover partner’s face. Next week I will explore whisky under R1500 with which to spoil someone. Until then, Sláinte!
This past Saturday was World Whisky day. A day to celebrate all things whisky-related. A day to share a dram with the people around you. We celebrated the day at home. I decided that it a perfect day to celebrate with whisky from around the world.
And not only to drink whisky but also to cook with it.We stared in Scotland with a Smoky Old Tom cocktail made with the Tomintoul 10 yo. The toasted rosemary notes lightly flavoured the cocktail, and it was crisp and refreshing.
The appetizer was an Appenzeller cheese that I paired with the Paul John Classic Cask Select from India. I have to say; this is one of the nicest cheeses to pair with whisky I have tasted in a long time. I will do a blog post on other Appenzeller Cheese and whisky pairings soon.
The main course was a whisky marinated chicken in tribute to the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, South Africa. And what a highlight! The chicken was marinated overnight and came so moist and flavoursome. It was the highlight of the day. I had quite a few requests for the Bain’s whisky chicken marinade recipe, so here it is.
Bain’s Whisky Chicken Marinade
1 Whole chicken
Ingredients – Marinade
1⁄2 cup Bain’s whisky
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1⁄2 tablespoon garlic powder
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Place brown sugar and Bain’s whisky in a bowl. Mix well.
Add remaining ingredients and mix again.
Place the whole chicken in a large zip-lock style bag and pour the marinade over. Seal and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. The longer you leave it, the better it will infuse. I left it overnight.
Turn frequently to ensure every part of the chicken spends time in the marinade.
Cook the chicken on the grill, preferably over medium heat. We hot smoked the chicken with some maple wood chips on our Big Green Egg. This gave it a wonderful smoky addition.
I paired the chicken with a glass of Bain’s whisky and some grilled sweet corn and it was perfect.
Father’s Day is fast approaching. But what do you get for the extraordinary father figure in your life? You want to give him something unique, just like him. Last year, you bought him that limited edition bottle of whisky, and during the year he finished the bottle.
And your gift is done. Perfect for Father’s Day. A one of a kind gift for a one of a kind father.
Disclaimer: I got a gift voucher from Builders Warehouse that allowed me to buy the items I needed for this DIY.
